Empty Eyes, 4 Rinja

Character design for Rinjapine , to use and/or change as she sees fit.
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Keetit: "Tree" [Kalenjin]
Pride Affiliation: Living Sand Pride
Relations: Son to Koyta, Rwanto; Brother to Laal

Keetit is the firstborn Prince of the Sand Pride and proves to be a very straightforward and practical-minded lion. While he constantly has to deal with his younger brother Laal’s challenges to the throne it eventually becomes more a matter of routine, and he is more than prepared to take his future place as King. This comes to a crashing close when he decides on challenging the lioness Momokta to be his Queen. Laal confronts Keetit once more, for Momokta and for the throne.

The battle that follows is long and bloody, both brothers equally matched. By the end it looks certain that Laal will lose, his throat all but torn open and bleeding badly. The younger prince manages a hammering blow to Keetit’s jaw, sending the other lion into the air. Blinded by the rising sun, Keetit loses his footing and lands heavily, cracking his head on a rock hidden in the sand. For a long time Keetit is still, but he is not dead and Laal is declared the winner. It isn’t until half a day later that Keetit finally stirs and two hours more until he finally rises. He is very dazed. And remains so.

It is painfully obvious Keetit is no longer the lion he once was. He is forever silent, meandering and vacant, wandering from shade to shade, and frequently attempts to climb the few trees and any high rocks he comes across, over and over and over. Despite his now uselessness he manages to skulk under the Pride’s radar and goes by on the outskirts mostly unnoticed. Surprisingly, he proves to be very protective and attentive to the Pride cubs, occasionally standing guard near them and chasing away any strange lion or creature that gets too close.

Keetit ultimately wastes away and his shrunken body is left to nourish the very cubs he cared for. He is quickly forgotten by the Sand Pride, save for his brother and a few of the next generation.

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I truly considered making Keetit the villain of the story, but in the end it just didn’t fit. So I looked at how the rules surrounding Sand Pride Royalty work and this is what I got; Keetit doesn’t die for Laal to win the throne, but he is still ‘vanquished’. Permanently.

For the record, Keetit was a pretty stand-up guy for a Sand Lion. He would have been a good King, a respectful mate and was looking forward to being a father. That’s why he tried to look after the Pride cubs, in his addled mind he thought they were his and wanted to protect them. It’s not fair and it’s cruel and he really didn't deserve the end he got, but there it is.

FYI, it may be hard to see here, but Keetit's right eye is left permanently dilated after he gets his head wound.

_{Fun fact: Keetit’s coloring was partially inspired by this Scar toy - ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I…
It might be hard to make it out, but it’s basically a ‘fuzzy’ Scar figure that’s pretty accurate… except its missing Scar’s lighter muzzle/belly/paw color! XD}

Keetit (c) Rinjapine
Design, story extention © Me

Rinja's bio for Keetit is here! rinjas-tlk-world.deviantart.co…